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Mother and medical student: Nadia’s journey

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, we’d like to recognize all of the incredible and hard working mothers around the world. Despite poverty and obstacles, we see the love of mothers shine through and persevere in every site in which we work.

In Paraguay, especially in poorer areas, many children are raised in single parent families, with mothers usually taking the role as primary caregiver. Nadia, from our CMAVIL site in Paraguay, was raised by her mother, Bernarda. When Nadia was very young, she had constant issues with her ears, and required expensive surgeries. Her mother was determined to help Nadia, and declared: “I will get those surgeries if I have to pick up every can in the city to pay for it!”

A blessing graced the family when Nadia was chosen by a Chalice sponsor. The support eased the burden on Bernarda, and she was able to afford medical treatment and better care for her precious daughter. Kind donors also funded three of Nadia’s surgeries through our critical needs fund. Nadia knew what it was like to have to save every penny for medical treatments, so when it came time to choose a career path, it was an easy choice. “I knew I had to be a doctor,” Nadia says.

Nadia had just begun her medical degree when she discovered she was pregnant. “At first I was worried, and I cried,” she describes. Nadia, however, was determined that she could be both a mother and a medical student, and decided to stay enrolled in her program.

Nine months later, Nadia took a few weeks off of class to give birth to her baby boy, whom she named Enzo David. Thanks to donors through our gift catalogue, Nadia was provided with some infant essentials to get her started, such as clothes, blankets, and diapers.

Today, Nadia is in her third year of medical school. When she has class, sometimes Bernarda will watch Enzo, and sometimes Nadia will bring him with her to class. Her caring and understanding professors love when she brings him along, and they often hold and carry him around!

Nadia and Bernarda are both incredibly grateful for all of the support and kindness that others have showed them throughout their lives. Inspired by her own difficulties, Nadia is going to specialize as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. Nadia hopes that when she becomes a doctor, she’ll be able to give to Enzo a wonderful life.